GPL oil spill costs millions

Apr 15, 2009 News

…cause of tank failure will be determined in a week

The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) has suffered millions in losses due to the most recent loss of fuel due to leakage at the Kingston Power Plant on Water Street on Sunday.
According to a release from the power company, reconciled figures indicate that 1,064.72 barrels of fuel, which cost US$53,236, has been spilt with most contained within the Kingston compound.
The release also said that the cause of the tank failure will be determined within a week when all the fuel is removed and cleaning is complete.
It also added that operation at the Wartsila Kingston Plant has not been affected by the fuel leak and alternative arrangements were completed yesterday to access fuel from the second bulk storage rank.
The release said that on Sunday at approximately 18:30hrs personnel at the Kingston location became aware of a failure in one of two HFO bulk storage tanks.
The protective bond wall also failed, allowing fuel to spill into the compound and then into the Demerara River on the west and Water Street on the east.
The bulk storage tank, with a capacity of 14,000 barrels and constructed in the 1940’s, had 7,500 barrels of fuel at the time of the failure.
According to the release, immediate action was taken to transfer fuel to the second bulk storage tank and by yesterday afternoon 4,913 barrels were successfully removed.
Fuel was also pumped into service tanks at the Kingston Wartsila plant, which were maintained at their maximum levels constantly. Some 200 sand bags were obtained from the CDC and these were used to plug breaches in the bond wall and build containments around them.
“By last evening (Monday) we managed, with assistance front the Ministry of Public Works, to complete containment dams within the compound where the majority of the spilt fuel is now held,” the release noted.
The company added that a boom from Sol has been deployed in the Demerara River with the assistance of the Coast Guard and is effectively trapping fuel which is being displaced by wave action from the shore.
And, two more booms are said to have been deployed yesterday to cover the wharf area and the Kingston koker.
The release added that the GDF assisted in conducting an aerial reconnaissance, of the Demerara River and its outfalls yesterday and small slicks of fuel have been noticed.
“Most of these slicks will eventually be deposited on the foreshores of Georgetown, lower East Coast, West Coast and possibly Essequibo Islands and Coast and on the banks of the Demerara River north of the Demerara Harbour Bridge.”
The release pointed out that a biodegradable dispersant will be employed to wash the foreshore or safely dissolve the fuel where it is still in the water.
“Full containment has been achieved and a special arrangement to remove the remaining 32,000 gallons of fuel in the damaged tank is being implemented. The cleaning of Water Street and associated drains, where containment measures have been employed, started last evening. GPL expects to have Water Street open to traffic by this evening.”
According to the statement, the flash point for HFO that GPL uses is typically 90°C (194°C) and while it is difficult to ignite, the Guyana Fire Service has been present on site since the incident.
Streets leading into the area of the power plant have been cordoned off by the Guyana Police Force and GPL has personnel on site to monitor activities.
The EPA, it added, has been present since Monday monitoring and advising GPL and a contractor involved in the clean up.
GPL is also asking the general public to notify the company if fuel is spotted.

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